Longchamp Eyewear presents LO716S, a new sunglass style that captures the
free spirit and distinctive charm of Parisian women, exquisitely embodying the
glamour and timelessness of Longchamp’s aesthetics. The modified rectangular front
and chunky proportions of these plant-based resin sunglasses are offered in a varied
palette of colours. The wide temples feature the gold metal Longchamp horse medallion.

Distributed by Marchon: www.marchon.com

Bausch + Lomb announced its first-of-its-kind ONE by ONE and Biotrue Eye Care Recycling programs have been named a gold winner in the Most Environmentally Friendly Service of the Year category by the 2022 Best in Biz Awards.

“For the past two years, our ONE by ONE contact lens recycling program has received gold for ‘Most Environmentally Friendly Service of the Year’ from the Best in Biz Awards. It brings us great pride to be recognized once again with this honor, but now with the addition of our Biotrue Eye Care Recycling program, which launched late last year,” said Joe Gordon, president, Global Consumer, Surgical and Vision Care, Bausch + Lomb.

“Together these programs continue to make incredible progress in helping to remove the ‘forgotten waste stream’ of used lens, eye care and lens care materials – nearly 60 million units to date – from our environment.”

Click HERE for the full press release.

De Rigo Vision announces that it has signed an agreement to acquire the full ownership of Rodenstock’s Eyewear division. The transaction will be completed towards the end of second quarter of 2023.

The acquisition of Rodenstock Eyewear is part of De Rigo’s strategic plan for further international expansion and growth in the premium eyewear segment.

It aims to reinforce the Group’s distribution platform in Central Europe and in particular in the German market, which offers strong growth opportunities for De Rigo. The integration of the Rodenstock Eyewear division into the De Rigo business will strengthen the sales network through additional resources, expertise and an extensive network in Germany as well as in international markets. Furthermore, the acquisition includes the two high-quality brands Rodenstock Eyewear and Porsche Design Eyewear, which will complement the existing De Rigo product portfolio.

Both companies will closely work together to ensure a smooth transition and business continuity for employees, customers, and business partners.

Maurizio Dessolis, Executive Vice Chairman of De Rigo Vision, said: “I am proud to announce this agreement with Rodenstock, with whom we share the values of operational excellence and a client and people centric business. We are confident that building on our global platform and network we will be able to support the continued growth of the business and its brands.”

Anders Hedegaard, CEO of Rodenstock, commented: “With De Rigo, we have found a buyer that will ensure business continuity for our eyewear business, and we look forward to our continued collaboration.”

Click HERE for the full press release.

The CSE (Certified Sustainable Eyewear) Award is a prize established by MIDO, in partnership with ANFAO and Certottica, to honor sustainability in the global eyewear industry.

All exhibitors at MIDO 2023 are eligible to participate in this first edition of the award by nominating a pair of sunglasses, eyewear frames or an eyewear case. An international panel of expert judges will evaluate the competing products which, to qualify for a win, must have been produced in compliance with the principles of sustainability.

Recycled materials, reduced consumption in the production and distribution processes, maximization of the supply chain, elimination of waste, degree of recyclability, use of renewable resources and any certifications already achieved, are just some of the criteria the jury will use to determine the first winners in the following 6 categories:

CSE Award Sunglasses Europe

CSE Award Sunglasses Rest of the World

CSE Award Frames Europe

CSE Award Frames Rest of the World

CSE Award Cases Europe

CSE Award Cases Rest of the World

To participate, exhibitors at MIDO 2023 must complete the online form, available from 15 December 2022 to 15 January 2023 in the “Take Part” section of the official website: https://www.mido.com/en/.

“This is a necessary step in the eyewear industry,” comments MIDO President Giovanni Vitaloni. In our sector we have companies that have been truly committed and active in the field of sustainability (environmental, social, economic) for a long time: I am thinking of the big players but also independent brands that produce with the lowest possible impact on the ecosystem. This award is a fundamental milestone for us, which does not, however, decree the end of this journey, but the stage of a path that began in 2019 and which obtained, for MIDO 2022, the ISO 20121:2012 certification, which proves the sustainable management of major events.”

Click HERE for the full press release.

With the holidays fast approaching, the Canadian Ophthalmological Society wants to stress the importance of purchasing eye-safe toys when shopping this holiday season. Many children end up in the emergency room with toy-related eye injuries each year, and with December marking Safe Toys and Gifts Awareness Month, it’s a reminder for Canadians to take proper precaution when considering which toys to give to children.

“With all the excitement during the holidays it’s easy to forget about basic safety, however eye injuries among children are one of the major causes of visual impairment,” says Dr. Phil Hooper, President of the Canadian Ophthalmological Society.

A survey by the Canadian Ophthalmological Society, in partnership with the Canadian Association of Optometrists, revealed that when it comes to purchasing gifts, only 16% of Canadians report shopping for toys with eye safety in mind.

In addition to toys, the amount of time children use their new electronics, including video games and iPads/tablets, should also be monitored, given the increasing evidence that prolonged screen time increases the risk of myopia in children. 

The survey also revealed that since the pandemic began, parents report that their children are spending about 4.4 hours in front of a screen on average, which is 1.2 hours more than they did prior to the pandemic. Three-in-five parents whose child(ren)’s COVID screen time is greater than pre-COVID feel that this increased screen time has negatively impacted their child(ren)’s eye health. Findings from the survey also demonstrate the importance of creating a National Vision Health Strategy to educate Canadians on eye health care. 

To help prevent eye injury in children, the Canadian Ophthalmological Society outlines some safe toy purchasing tips Canadians should keep in mind this holiday season:

• Be sure to confirm the toy is age-appropriate
• Avoid certain toys that pose a high risk of eye injuries such as toy guns, lasers, aerosols like silly string, flying toys and long, pointy toys such as swords
• Show children how to properly play with the toys in a safe manner
• Keep toys that pose a potential eye injury risk away from children unless supervised by an adult
• Include protective eyewear when giving sports equipment
• Find out if the packaging has been inspected and approved by the proper regulatory bodies, including the Canada Consumer Product Safety Act (CCPSA), Canadian Standards Association (CSA), or the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM)

Click HERE for the full press release.